Graduation Weekend for Alabama as Baseball Hosts 19th-Ranked LSU

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball welcomes the 19^th-ranked LSU Tigers to town this Friday through Sunday. The series opens with a 6 p.m. CT first pitch in game one followed by a 7:30 p.m. start on Saturday. Sunday's matchup is scheduled for 1 p.m. in the finale on Mother's Day. The bookend games of the series will air on SEC Network+ with Saturday's matchup being broadcast nationally on SEC Network.

This weekend's series with LSU will have numerous promotions across the three games. Saturday's contest will feature a mini bat giveaway to the first 500 fans through the gates at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Mother's Day is Sunday, and the Crimson Tide will celebrate it by giving away a script A glass to mothers in attendance.

The series finale on Sunday will also be "Kids' Day at The Joe" promotion. All kids 18-and-under can purchase a $5 general admission ticket. Children will also have the chance to run the bases postgame. Additionally, Sunday's series finale will continue the Tide's baseball card giveaway as part of a season-long promotion highlighting the 2022 roster. Kids can get their third pack of baseball cards and stay after the game to get autographs from the group of players featured on this Sunday's set of cards.

Follow the Tide

Fans can follow this weekend's games via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+ (Friday/Sunday) | SEC Network (Saturday)
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / The Varsity App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com

Probable Starting Pitching Matchups

FRIDAY: UA – Garrett McMillan (Jr., RHP) vs. LSU – Ma'Khail Hilliard (R-Sr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Jacob McNairy (Sr., RHP) vs. LSU – Blake Money (So., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Grayson Hitt (So., LHP) vs. LSU – TBA

Leading Off

Alabama and LSU will meet for the 379th time in series history when the two teams begin the weekend set on Friday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide holds the all-time advantage, 204-171-3, including a 116-71 mark at home.
The two teams met last season in Baton Rouge from May 14-16. LSU earned a 2-1 win in the opener with Alabama countering for the 6-5 win in game two. The Tigers came away with the Sunday win and secured the series thanks to a 13-5 result on getaway day.
April 26-28 of 2019 marked the last time the Tide and Tigers met in Tuscaloosa. Alabama took game one, 6-1, before falling in the final two contests - 2-5, 4-5 - as LSU earned the series win.
Alabama will begin the weekend with right-hander Garrett McMillan on the hill in Friday's opener. The Crimson Tide will then send fellow righty Jacob McNairy to the mound on Saturday with left-hander Grayson Hitt toeing the bump on Sunday.
LSU will look to a pair of righties to the mound to start the series, first with Ma'Khail Hilliard on Friday followed by Blake Money on Saturday. The Tigers' starter for the series finale is still to be announced.

About Alabama

Alabama finished last week at 1-3, downing Samford last Tuesday in Birmingham before falling in three games at South Carolina from Thursday through Saturday.
The Crimson Tide scored in five of the nine innings on the way to a 9-3 win over Samford last Tuesday in Birmingham.
Alabama jumped out front early, plating two runs apiece in the second and third frames to gain a 4-0 advantage after three full. Samford got on the board with one in the fourth, but the Tide answered with a run in the sixth followed by a three-run seventh. UA added one more in the eighth with Samford plating a single tally in the eighth and ninth.
Eight of the nine Alabama starters recorded at least one hit on the evening, highlighted by a 3-for-3 effort from Owen Diodati. The junior walked while adding a team-high tying two runs scored. Caden Rose also finished a perfect 2-for-2 with an RBI, one run and a team-high three walks.|
Andrew Pinckney, Dominic Tamez and Bryce Eblin all matched Rose with a two-hit effort, with Pinckney and Tamez tying for the team-high total for RBI with two apiece.
Ben Hess picked up the win on Tuesday, tossing a career-high 6.0 innings and allowing one run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Alabama suffered a 6-5 loss to South Carolina last Thursday evening at Founders Park.
The Gamecocks used three home runs to build a 5-0 lead after three innings of play. Alabama would not back down, scratching across one run apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to send the game to the ninth at 5-3.
With two down, Drew Williamson delivered a two-run single to make it a 5-5 ballgame. The Gamecocks were able to put runners on the corners with one down in the home half before a blooper fell just beyond the reach of three Tide defenders for the game-winning single.
Garrett McMillan was solid in his start. The junior worked 6.2 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts on a career-high 119 pitches.
A pitcher's duel finished in favor of the Gamecocks, 2-1, last Friday.
Jacob McNairy was masterful in his start, tossing a career-high 112 pitches across 7.0 innings to match his career-long start. The senior allowed just one run on five hits and issued two walks while striking out seven to tie his career-best total. He kept the ball down all night, recording nine groundball outs, including a double play, with his lone mistake coming on a solo home run in the third.
The Tide was able to answer with one run in the top of the eighth, thanks to an RBI-single from Tamez. South Carolina came right back to regain the lead in the home half with a sacrifice fly proving the difference.
Alabama came up short in last Saturday's series finale with South Carolina, suffering an 11-5 loss.
The Crimson Tide took the early lead with two runs in the first, but South Carolina came right back with three in the home half. The Gamecocks then added six runs across the third, fourth and fifth innings to put the game out of reach.
UA continued to fight, using a three-run home run from Tamez in the sixth to make it a 9-5 ballgame, but the Tide would get no closer. SC added single tallies in the seventh and eighth for the eventual 11-5 final.

About LSU

Jay Johnson is in his first season at LSU and 10th overall season as a collegiate head coach. Johnson entered the 2022 campaign with a 317-172 career record across his previous stops as a head coach, including Arizona, Nevada and Point Loma Nazarene. A 2001 graduate of Point Loma, Johnson is joined on staff by assistants Dan Fitzgerald, Jason Kelly and Marc Wanaka.
LSU finished the 2021 season at 38-25, including a 13-17 mark in SEC play. The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Knoxville Super Regional where they would fall in back-to-back games to Tennessee.
The Tigers were selected to finish fourth in the Western Division and eighth overall in the SEC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.

On Deck

Alabama will take to the road for UA's final midweek game of the 2022 regular season. The Crimson Tide will head to Jacksonville State on Tuesday, May 10, for a 6 p.m. matchup with the Gamecocks. Fans can catch the in-state pairing on ESPN+.

University of Alabama Athletics